PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

The summer I spend at my home is always bitter-sweet. It is sweet because I get to spent loads of time with my family – mother, sisters, nieces, nephew and extended family, whom I see only once a year.

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

Like any self-respecting teenager, I didn’t place my family much above anything. I woke up to the shock of loosing my father with my teens barely over and suddenly learning to do everything on your own without the comfort of parents taking care of your every need.

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

My father always took us by car on long stopover trips, flew us to distant locations and even created weekend home for us in the hills. I took my first bus ride or even a train journey in twenties after he passed away, and since then I have never depended upon anyone. Time teaches you to rely on yourself and that’s what I did.

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

What all this did to me, was the realisation that my family is my anchor and extremely important to me. I no longer take them for granted and do not shy away from showing them the love I feel for them. Go guys, life rarely gives you a second chance.

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

Coming back to the bitter part of my stay every year, it’s the constant fights we sisters still indulge in, yes even in our late thirties, early thirties and early forties, we still fight like silly children. It is still about whom our mother supports vocally or emotionally, who will make the first move to talk to each other and sometimes, we don’t even make up and part ways for another year.

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

Sometimes I don’t want to fight and feel bad during my trips, but there are times when I feel that these fights are equal part of being a family, of being sisters and of sibling rivalry. I would not like to let these bitter memories completely go away from my trips, but would heal myself and my loved ones for the next year and create some more bitter-sweet memories.

PhotoStory | Grapes and Home

In between these memories, home-grown grapes are a boon. And when I see my kids playing and making equally lovely bitter-sweet memories, I am content.